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Afghanistan: Afghan women's summit for democracy

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Afghan Women's Summit for Democracy

In solidarity with the Afghan women gathered in Brussels December 4-5th, women’s rights activists met in parallel session in Brussels to formulate support strategies for the implementation of the Brussels Proclamation issued by the Afghan Women’s Summit.

A number of initiatives were devised by this group, which
included activists from war-torn countries, artists, lawyers, funders and a
parliamentarian. Also working with the group were the Gender Advisor to
the UN Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UNIFEM. The group
was deeply moved and inspired by the clarity and brilliance of the Brussels
Proclamation and the vision of Afghan Women for the future of their
country.

The meeting of the Afghan Women's Summit for Democracy came up
with the following demands with respect to the reconstruction of
Afghanistan:

EDUCATION, MEDIA AND
CULTURE

Infrastructures in Afghanistan
for the past 23 years have been destroyed. People of Afghanistan lost their
basic human rights including the right to live, to be educated and to work, as
well as their culture. Two generations of Afghans are illiterate and there was
no adequate schooling available due to the war and the repressive regime, which
banned girls from school and taught boys only about " political " Islam so that
these boys were brainwashed and became extremists. These ideas are contrary to
Islamic values.

Afghan women are in dire need
of education and information through the media. Education, information and
culture empower women. Women are the shapers of society; they have to be
educated and have access to information in order to raise responsible children.
Women should participate fully in the current and future development of
Afghanistan.

We need to re-open the schools in
major cities of Afghanistan, starting from Kabul the capital, and bring back to
the people our cultural heritage. Particular attention should be given to
orphans living in the streets, both in respect of shelter and
education.

We need to bring hope and a bright
future to our people. It is our duty as Afghan women to help and support our
people in order to bring to the fore the important contribution of Afghan women
as the torch-bearers of a culture in peril.

For the past 23 years, Afghan people have been living in
the dark. We the Afghan women should join our efforts to establish a civil
society in our country and bring back democratic values through education and
culture. Education and culture transcend the reality of our lives. Their healing
power and creative energy could act as a catalyst for peace and as an antidote
to our national wounds by safeguarding our cultural heritage from disappearance.
By reviving education and culture, we Afghans can all have something common to
share and be united.

Recommendations

Sending a group of women to Afghanistan
for assessing the schools' condition

Developing an emergency plan for
re-opening schools by March 2002 for both girls and boys and reconstruction of
the schools that have been damaged or destroyed

Reopening of institutes of higher
education

Provision of all
the necessary means for schools so that they will be able to function
properly

Transfer of
students taught at home to schools

Provision of a comprehensive school
curriculum based on international standards and the relevant
supplies

Provision of
teachers' training including refresher courses for teachers

Creation of structures for sheltering
and educating orphans

Ensuring fair salaries for all staff in education

Inclusion of educational professionals
in the Ministry of Education

- Ensuring inclusion of conflict
resolution courses in education

Afghan journalists living abroad to
assess the situation in Afghanistan

Reconstruction of TV satellites and
radio stations, in particular in the major cities of Afghanistan that were
already equipped

Provision
of cameras and necessary equipment

Provision of training for personnel in
the area of technical backing and production

Recuperation and re-purchase of the
ancient literary works which have been dispersed around the world, with the help
of UNESCO and private donors

Reprinting of rare books of literature,
poetry, etc

Translation of
Afghan literature into English and other languages so that the Afghan children
living abroad will be able to regain their cultural identity

Establishment of a prize-award system
in literature for young writers, poets and artists

HEALTH

Women
should participate fully in the current and future development of Afghanistan,
particularly in the field of health. We volunteer to do a comprehensive survey
in order to specifically identify and point out the needs if concrete support is
provided. In order for the group members to conduct a comprehensive survey in
the following areas, the group members request the European Commission and the
donor agencies to provide the means for a team to conduct a survey of the
medical needs of Afghans.

Recommendations

Provision of critical medical
equipment, medicines and vitamins Rebuilding of water and sanitation
systems Restarting of the food
program Vaccination programs
Medical teams be sent to
Afghanistan to provide hands-on training and mentoring to Afghan doctors and
other medical staff Afghan
doctors and other medical staff be provided with the opportunities to get
training abroad Scholarships be
provided to medical students to study abroad Awareness raising through media,
distribution of health related material, including but not limited to mother and
child health, malnutrition, hygiene, contagious diseases, AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases
Re-establishment of health centers in urban and rural areas Re-establishment of training centers and
training programs for the medical personnel Rebuilding of medical faculties in Kabul,
Herat, Nengrahar and Mazar-e-Sharif Rehabilitation of psychological hospital in
Kabul Expansion of orthepedic
centers for handicapped people
Expansion of clinics and treatment centers for Malaria and Leshmenia
Establishment of counselling and health
centers in schools Provision of
family planning programs
Establishment and rebuilding of medical laboratories
Re-introduction of health
insurance Provision of centers
for HIV/AIDS patients and drug addicts
Provision of blood
banks

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE
CONSTITUTION

Recalling the United
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Beijing Platform for Action,
the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), The Cairo Programme of Action, and the UN Convention Against Torture,
we the participants of the Afghan Women's Summit for Democracy make the
following recommendations:

Recommendations

Making all support, including monetary,
from the international community conditional on the rights and treatment of
women.

The cessation of
using Pakistan as a proxy for Afghanistan and the subsequent recognition of
Afghanistan as an independent state in reconstruction negotiations
.

Guaranteed recognition of the
returnees to Afghanistan as legitimate citizens of Afghanistan
.

Central inclusion of women in the Loya
Jirgah (Grand Assembly) and all peace processes and matters related to
reconstruction.

Inclusion
of Afghan women lawyers in the development of a new constitution based on the
1964 constitution and resulting legal frameworks
.

Critical focus on disarmament in all
areas of Afghanistan and a wide demining campaign
.

Ensuring that the principles of
non-discrimination according to gender, age, ethnicity, disability, religion,
and political affiliation in all aspects of political, social, cultural, civil
and economic rights are central to the new legal system
.

Ensuring the protection of women from
forced/under-aged marriages, sexual harassment, trafficking in people and all
other types of abuse.

Ensuring a safe and secure environment for women and girls
.

Ensuring equal rights for women
including the right to vote, equal pay and equal access to education, health
care and employment.

Establishment of an umbrella/coalition
under which a number of organizations will jointly work on projects or
programs.

Donor funding to
be channeled through local Afghan Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and a
transparent system of accountabilities be established.

Ensuring examination of the economic
involvement of regional actors in the context of promoting sustainable
peace.

REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY
DISPLACED WOMEN

According to UNHCR in
the past two decades Afghan refugees constitute the largest refugee population
in the world. Due to the current war in Afghanistan, approximately 300,000 more
refugees have been added to the refugee population. More than 65% of refugees
are women and children. Afghan refugees in the first country of asylum,
especially in neighbouring countries, including Central Asian countries, have
very limited rights. The safety and security of most refugees, especially women,
is extremely limited. Under the current circumstances, due to the presence of
landmines and destruction of infrastructure in residential areas, Afghanistan
does not have the capacity to provide sustainable living conditions. The
political and security conditions in Afghanistan are not considered to be safe
for some refugees. For those refugees who cannot return and are in need of
international protection according to the 1951 Geneva Convention, resettlement
should be provided as a tool of protection.

Recommendations

Avoidance of forced repatriation of
refugees as it violates basic human rights according to UNHCR guidelines on
repatriation.

Provision of
a durable resettlement solution for those refugees who cannot return to
Afghanistan for security reasons.

Increase of educational, training,
capacity building and income generating programs to enhance the special needs of
refugees and internally displaced women and children.